Support Means for Sanding Apparatus

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns a support means ( 1 ), preferably fur a sanding apparatus ( 3 ), where the support means includes a handle ( 2 ) which is connected with the sanding apparatus ( 3 ) at one end and which is provided with a carrying handle at the opposite end, where the handle ( 2 ) is designed as a double pipe and includes a number of parts, each adapted to couple to another part via a joining means ( 8 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a support means, preferably for a sanding apparatus, where the support means includes a handle which is connected with the sanding apparatus at one end and which is provided with a carrying handle at the opposite end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In PCT/DK2004/000848 there is disclosed a sanding apparatus which by means of an exhaust unit and the design of the screening itself entail that the sanding apparatus is self-attached on the surface to be treated, irrespectively of any vertical or horizontal orientation of the surface.

In order to manoeuvre the sanding apparatus across a surface, the sanding apparatus is described as provided with a handle which can be operated by a person standing on the ground or on scaffolding. This means that a person can treat large parts of the surface from a stationary position without having to move. Besides, the person can e.g. reach surfaces disposed highly or at the bottom sides of surfaces (e.g. the bottom of a ship or ceilings).

The sanding apparatus in PCT/DK2004/000848 is, however, described with a motor unit arranged directly on the sanding apparatus, which may be a disadvantage as the sanding apparatus becomes heavy. This means that a greater suction power is required to achieve a self-attaching sanding apparatus, and a sanding apparatus with a motor unit arranged directly on the sanding apparatus, is heavy to manoeuvre.

In order to remove abraded material, the screening of the sanding apparatus in PCT/DK2004/000848 is provided with an exhaust connection to which e.g. a flexible hose connected with the exhaust unit can be connected. The joint between the exhaust connection and the exhaust unit may reduce the mobility of the sanding apparatus.

By using a handle having a fixed length for manoeuvring the sanding apparatus, the mobility of the sanding apparatus is reduced when e.g. sanding a part of a surface which is proximate and/or if the there is not much space around the surface, as the handle interferes and thus prevents efficient surface treatment.

From U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,545 there is known a handle of the type mentioned in the introduction, where the handle is divided into two juxtaposed chambers. The chambers are used for exhausting abraded material and for housing a drive shaft.

The two juxtaposed chambers cannot be said to constitute a double pipe with an inner and an outer pipe with the advantages provided by this feature with regard to noise attenuation and simple production of bearings for the drive shaft, which is disposed in a pipe, preferably a cylindric pipe.

The handle has a fixed length in the US patent document. The mobility of the sanding apparatus will thus also be reduced with this apparatus.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to indicate a support means, preferably for a self-attaching sanding apparatus, where the support means

-   -   reduces the weight of the sanding apparatus;     -   ensures easy, comfortable and safe manoeuvring of the sanding         apparatus; and     -   uses an exhaust unit with low suction power.

This purpose is achieved with a support means as specified in the preamble of claim 1, where the handle is designed as a double pipe consisting of an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and which includes a number of parts, each adapted to couple to another part via a joining means, that the power transmission unit is a power transmission shaft which is divided into the same number of sub-shafts as the number of the parts of the shaft, each sub-shaft being adapted to couple with another sub-shaft via the joining means, that the sub-shafts are disposed in the inner pipe, and that exhaust of abraded material can be effected in the interspace between the inner pipe and the outer pipe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to manoeuvre the sanding apparatus at a distance, e.g. on surfaces disposed highly elevated or at the bottom side of a surface (e.g. bottom of a ship), the sanding apparatus is connected with a support means including a handle, which at one end is connected with the sanding apparatus and at the opposite end is provided with a carrying handle, whereby a secure grip on the handle and thereby improved mobility are achieved.

The power transmission shaft is arranged in the inner pipe of the handle and secured at one end by means of bearings, and at the other end by means of a joining means.

Since the individual sub-shafts have approximately the same length as the parts of the handle, and since the sub-shafts can be coupled together simultaneously, the handle can be assembled from different parts, e.g. of varying length, whereby a power transmission from the motor unit to the sanding apparatus still can be achieved.

The pipes will preferably be circular pipes that are coaxial.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle is designed as a double pipe and includes a number of parts, each adapted to be coupled to another part via a joining means. As the handle is divided into parts, a handle of the right length can be composed without regard to the distance to the surface desired to be treated. The parts may e.g. be 1, 2 or 3 metres long.

In order to assemble the various parts of the handle, the joining means can be one of the following: a bayonet joint, a threaded joint, snap-lock or similar. It is important that the joining means are holding the parts securely during use of the sanding apparatus, and that the joining means is not influenced negatively by rotation from a power transmission unit or manoeuvring of the sanding apparatus.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support means includes a motor unit arranged in connection with the handle. This entails that the weight of the sanding apparatus is reduced considerably, and thus no great suction power is to be applied in order to ensure that the sanding apparatus becomes self-attached on the surface to be treated. Furthermore, reduced suction power will imply that the exhaust unit becomes smaller, whereby less electric power is to be used for driving the exhaust of abraded material.

The motor unit may be electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically powered, or alternatively be a petrol or diesel engine.

If the motor unit is arranged in connection with the handle, it is necessary with a driving connection between the motor unit and the sanding apparatus in order for the abrading element of the sanding apparatus to rotate. Thus the motor unit is connected with the sanding apparatus via a power transmission unit which e.g. may be a wire, a power transmission shaft or similar.

In order to ensure power transmission from the motor unit to the sanding apparatus and to ensure flexible mobility of the sanding apparatus in relation to the handle, the power transmission shaft is connected with the sanding apparatus via a toggle joint, e.g. a cardan joint.

In order to avoid using a loose hose or similar between the exhaust connection and the exhaust unit, as such a hose may interfere during use of the apparatus and increases the weight of the sanding apparatus, the handle is provided with at least one inlet connection and at least one outlet connection, where the inlet connection is connected to the sanding apparatus, and the outlet connection is connected with an exhaust unit.

As the handle is a double pipe, the power transmission unit can be disposed in the innermost pipe, while exhaust of abraded material can occur in the interspace between the innermost pipe and the outermost pipe.

In order to reduce the weight to be carried by a person while the sanding apparatus is manoeuvred around on the surface, the handle and/or the motor unit are/is provided with a lifting device, e.g. a carrying strap, shoulder strap or similar, so that the person with this lifting device carries most of the weight of the motor unit and the handle and thus have strength to manoeuvre the sanding apparatus. Thus an easy and more comfortable manoeuvring of the sanding apparatus is achieved.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is explained more closely in the following with reference to the drawings, where FIG. 1 shows a support means according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a support means 1 for a sanding apparatus 3, which support means 1 includes a handle 2 which is a double pipe consisting of an outer pipe 5 and an inner pipe 6.

The handle 2 is here shown composed of three parts which are coupled together via joining means 8.

Motor unit 4 is connected with the sanding apparatus 3 via a power transmission shaft 7 and toggle joint 10. Power transmission shaft 7 is arranged and secured internally in the inner pipe 6, and is composed of three sub-shafts which are coupled together via joining means 8 and suspended by bearings 9.

The handle 2 is provided with an inlet connection 11 and an outlet connection 12, where the inlet connection 11 is connected with the sanding apparatus 3, and the outlet connection 12 is connected with an exhaust unit (not shown), entailing that the interspace between the outer pipe 5 and the inner pipe 6 is utilised for exhausting abraded material.

The transition piece 14 between inlet connection 11 and sanding apparatus 3 is made of a flexible material so that the sanding apparatus 3 can move freely in relation to the handle 2.

The outlet connection 12 is connected to an exhaust unit (not shown) with a flexible hose connection 13, entailing that the hose connection 13 can be adapted so as to extend from the handle 2 and to the exhaust unit (not shown), and where the mobility of the sanding apparatus 3 is increased at the same time, as the hose connection 13 is not to follow the sanding apparatus. 

1. A support means (1), preferably for a sanding apparatus (3), where the support means includes a handle (2) which is connected with the sanding apparatus (3) at one end and which at the opposite end is provided with a carrying handle, wherein the handle (2) is designed as a double pipe consisting of an outer pipe (5) and an inner pipe (6), and which includes a number of parts, each adapted to couple to another part via a joining means (8), that the power transmission unit is a power transmission shaft which is divided into the same number of sub-shafts as the number of the parts of the shaft (2), each sub-shaft being adapted to couple with another sub-shaft via the joining means (8), that the sub-shafts are disposed in the inner pipe, and that exhaust of abraded material can be effected in the interspace between the inner pipe and the outer pipe.
 2. Support means (1) according to claim 1, wherein the support means includes a motor unit (4) which is arranged in connection with the handle (2).
 3. Support means (1) according to claim 2, wherein the motor unit (4) is connected with the sanding apparatus (3) via a power transmission unit (7).
 4. Support means (1) according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission shaft (7) is connected with the sanding apparatus (3) via a toggle joint (10).
 5. Support means (1) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (2) is provided with at least one inlet connection (11) and at least one outlet connection (12), where the inlet connection (11) is connected with the sanding apparatus (3) and the outlet connection (12) is connected with an exhaust unit.
 6. Support means (1) according to claim 1, wherein the handle (2) and/or the motor unit (4) are/is provided with a lifting device. 